Agitate leads all the way to win Mick Dittman Plate

An explosive display of barrier speed set up the race for Agitate to lead all the way to win the Listed $100,000 Channel Seven Mick Dittman Plate (1110m) at Doomben today.

Agitate and Damian Browne lead all the way to win the Mick Dittman Plate. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Agitate ($4.80) exploded from the barriers to set up a three lengths leads within fifty metres before rider Damian Browne restrained the three year old at the first turn.

Michael Cahill on Flamboyer ($21) sat on the outside of Agitate but when Browne let the Kelly Schweida trained gelding lengthen stride at the top of the straight, nothing else in the field looked like running him down.

“Gee he is fast out of the barriers,” Browne said.

“He had two lengths on them in a heartbeat. He come back to me for a furlong and a half. It makes it hard for them to run him down.”

“With horses this quick out you can get them out of their comfort zone when you get them back in behind. Their biggest asset is their barrier speed.”

Schweida put the tongue tie on Agitate after he ran second as favourite over 1000m at Eagle Farm on April 19 first up and the extra gear also proved a winning move.

“I put the tongue tie on in his track work and his regular track work rider Glen O’Sullivan said that he has been flying. He runs times here this horse and I thought they would have to get on their bike to beat him,” Schweida said.

Favourite Havana ($2.15) was given a beautiful run by Kerrin McEvoy back in fourth and fifth position before easing out on the home turn to run home for second with Architect ($31) also making up plenty of ground for Andrew Spinks from the back to finish a close third.

Author: Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.